Anyone who has read Charlie Spedding’s book will be familiar with the phrase “marathon madness” for it is this notion which Charlie uses to explain a number of below-par race performances during his build up to marathons. One quote in particular stands out following poor performances (by his standards) during his preparations for the Houston Marathon in 1984:
“I began to realise that they were symptoms of marathon madness. My mind was fixed on preparing to run 26 miles and I had been unable to push myself because subconciously I was holding something back. I told myself this was an excellent sign and it meant that my mind was saving everything for a huge effort in Houston.”
“I began to realise that they were symptoms of marathon madness. My mind was fixed on preparing to run 26 miles and I had been unable to push myself because subconciously I was holding something back. I told myself this was an excellent sign and it meant that my mind was saving everything for a huge effort in Houston.”
Now don`t worry, I’m not about to start comparing myself to Charlie Spedding. We both originate from the same part of County Durham and we are/were both marathon runners, but that’s where the similarities end. In terms of our performances over the 26.2 mile distance they are light years apart and I can’t even dream of ever running the kind of times Charlie ran in his prime. His explanation of the marathon madness symptom has provided me with a fair amount of comfort since reading his book however, not least because I feel it goes some way to explaining why in recent years I have also struggled to perform well in races during my marathon build-ups.
I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t raced particularly well in shorter races during the last few years. That was evidenced most recently at the Tyne Bridges 5 Mile Race and BUPA Great North 10K where I finished in 29th and 42nd positions respectively in not especially great times. I was intending to do these races with the sole intention of them providing me with an indication of where my fitness was at heading into the more intensive stages of my Frankfurt Marathon training. In reality however, they told me very little.
From the outside it probably looks as though I’m in rubbish shape. But deep down I know I’m in far better condition than those performances suggest. I’ll come onto my current training load in more detail in a moment, but at first I put my below-par performances down to tired legs from running consistently high mileage in training since the beginning of July. However, I then started looking back over my race results from training phases for previous marathons and I’d definitely say there is a pattern emerging which suggests that I also suffer from my own form of marathon madness. The bottom line is that I seem to struggle to lift myself to compete at 100% when there is a much bigger objective on the horizon and when I know I have to be back out there training hard the day after a race. The weeks and weeks of running high mileage undoubtedly takes their toll and inevitably it means that you start races during the marathon build-up phase with very tired legs. From my own experiences I’d definitely agree with Charlie that there is something going on at a subconscious level with prevents you from hitting races hard when the prospect of racing over 26 miles in the not too distant future is looming.
As I write this blog I’m starting the ninth week of my training for Frankfurt, the mileage is high and the quality of sessions is intense as I look to push out my aerobic/anaerobic threshold. A typical week’s training at the moment looks like this:
Mon (am) 5 miles easy
Mon (pm) 6 miles steady
Tue (am) 5 miles easy + running drills + core stability exercises
Tue (pm) 10 - 12 miles marathon paced tempo run
Wed (pm) Track session eg. 5 x 2000m, 400m float recovery at marathon pace
Thu (am) 5 miles easy + 6 x 30m hill sprints
Thu (pm) 10 - 12 miles steady on hilly terrain
Fri (am) 5 miles easy
Fri (pm) 6 miles steady
Sat (am) 5k effort at marathon pace (normally a Park Run) followed straight afterwards by interval session eg. 12 x 90secs, 60secs float recovery at marathon pace
Sun (am) 18 - 22 miles long run
The pattern for the next six weeks will continue much in the same vein. After that I’ll break off from training to compete in the Great North Run in mid-September, then I’ll have a final three week block of high mileage before the marathon taper starts.
I’ll be the first to admit that I haven’t raced particularly well in shorter races during the last few years. That was evidenced most recently at the Tyne Bridges 5 Mile Race and BUPA Great North 10K where I finished in 29th and 42nd positions respectively in not especially great times. I was intending to do these races with the sole intention of them providing me with an indication of where my fitness was at heading into the more intensive stages of my Frankfurt Marathon training. In reality however, they told me very little.
From the outside it probably looks as though I’m in rubbish shape. But deep down I know I’m in far better condition than those performances suggest. I’ll come onto my current training load in more detail in a moment, but at first I put my below-par performances down to tired legs from running consistently high mileage in training since the beginning of July. However, I then started looking back over my race results from training phases for previous marathons and I’d definitely say there is a pattern emerging which suggests that I also suffer from my own form of marathon madness. The bottom line is that I seem to struggle to lift myself to compete at 100% when there is a much bigger objective on the horizon and when I know I have to be back out there training hard the day after a race. The weeks and weeks of running high mileage undoubtedly takes their toll and inevitably it means that you start races during the marathon build-up phase with very tired legs. From my own experiences I’d definitely agree with Charlie that there is something going on at a subconscious level with prevents you from hitting races hard when the prospect of racing over 26 miles in the not too distant future is looming.
As I write this blog I’m starting the ninth week of my training for Frankfurt, the mileage is high and the quality of sessions is intense as I look to push out my aerobic/anaerobic threshold. A typical week’s training at the moment looks like this:
Mon (am) 5 miles easy
Mon (pm) 6 miles steady
Tue (am) 5 miles easy + running drills + core stability exercises
Tue (pm) 10 - 12 miles marathon paced tempo run
Wed (pm) Track session eg. 5 x 2000m, 400m float recovery at marathon pace
Thu (am) 5 miles easy + 6 x 30m hill sprints
Thu (pm) 10 - 12 miles steady on hilly terrain
Fri (am) 5 miles easy
Fri (pm) 6 miles steady
Sat (am) 5k effort at marathon pace (normally a Park Run) followed straight afterwards by interval session eg. 12 x 90secs, 60secs float recovery at marathon pace
Sun (am) 18 - 22 miles long run
The pattern for the next six weeks will continue much in the same vein. After that I’ll break off from training to compete in the Great North Run in mid-September, then I’ll have a final three week block of high mileage before the marathon taper starts.
This year’s Great North Run will be a little bit special for me. Not only is it an important part of my Frankfurt Marathon build-up but, far more significantly, it is giving me the chance to raise money for the North of England Children’s Cancer Research Fund (NECCR) on behalf of an incredibly brave and inspirational young girl.
Three months ago 11 year old Tynedale Harrier, Alicia Armstrong, was diagnosed with leukaemia and started an intensive course of chemotherapy at Newcastle’s RVI. Only weeks earlier Alicia had placed in the top 60 in the country in her age category for swimming and running combined at the UK Schools championships in London. As I’m sure you can imagine it has been a harrowing experience for Alicia and her family, and will continue to be for some time. Alicia is now in remission but requires a bone marrow transplant to hopefully ensure that the leukaemia never comes back.
The operation is currently scheduled to take place during the week leading up to the Great North Run. Alicia and her mum Maria (who I was coaching up until the point that Alicia became ill and is a very good runner in her own right) recognise that such innovative methods of cancer treatment would not be possible without the research that has been undertaken by NECCR since its inception in 1979. The charity has raised over six million pounds since it began and has established the North of England as one of the world leaders in the research and treatment of childhood cancer. NECCR supports a whole team of doctors, scientists, statisticians and research nurses who work with the Children's Cancer Unit at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, and Alicia is now benefiting directly from the research work done by NECCR.
Due to Alicia’s hospitalisation at the time of the Great North Run, Maria is not able to participate in the race herself and has instead asked whether I will raise money for NECCR on behalf of her and Alicia. This is not the typical case of trying to raise a minimum amount to secure a Great North Run number with a charity so large that no-one ever has any idea where the money is going. I’m doing this using my own number and I don`t have any outrageous fundraising target to hit. This is a genuine attempt to raise as much money as I possibly can for a North East based cancer charity whose work is having a direct impact on the lives of local children.
I have set up the following JustGiving page where you can make donations to the cause. Please dig deep and give generously to help local children such as Alicia in their fight against childhood cancer. Every pound raised will make a huge difference.
http://www.justgiving.com/Mark-Ketley0
Until next time, happy running everyone!
Three months ago 11 year old Tynedale Harrier, Alicia Armstrong, was diagnosed with leukaemia and started an intensive course of chemotherapy at Newcastle’s RVI. Only weeks earlier Alicia had placed in the top 60 in the country in her age category for swimming and running combined at the UK Schools championships in London. As I’m sure you can imagine it has been a harrowing experience for Alicia and her family, and will continue to be for some time. Alicia is now in remission but requires a bone marrow transplant to hopefully ensure that the leukaemia never comes back.
The operation is currently scheduled to take place during the week leading up to the Great North Run. Alicia and her mum Maria (who I was coaching up until the point that Alicia became ill and is a very good runner in her own right) recognise that such innovative methods of cancer treatment would not be possible without the research that has been undertaken by NECCR since its inception in 1979. The charity has raised over six million pounds since it began and has established the North of England as one of the world leaders in the research and treatment of childhood cancer. NECCR supports a whole team of doctors, scientists, statisticians and research nurses who work with the Children's Cancer Unit at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, and Alicia is now benefiting directly from the research work done by NECCR.
Due to Alicia’s hospitalisation at the time of the Great North Run, Maria is not able to participate in the race herself and has instead asked whether I will raise money for NECCR on behalf of her and Alicia. This is not the typical case of trying to raise a minimum amount to secure a Great North Run number with a charity so large that no-one ever has any idea where the money is going. I’m doing this using my own number and I don`t have any outrageous fundraising target to hit. This is a genuine attempt to raise as much money as I possibly can for a North East based cancer charity whose work is having a direct impact on the lives of local children.
I have set up the following JustGiving page where you can make donations to the cause. Please dig deep and give generously to help local children such as Alicia in their fight against childhood cancer. Every pound raised will make a huge difference.
http://www.justgiving.com/Mark-Ketley0
Until next time, happy running everyone!